September 26, 2016 · 8:08 AM ET

No. 1:Rivers, Clippers ready to challenge Warriors — They can’t hide from it, the expectations or the obstacles. And Doc Rivers knows as much, has prepared for as much heading into the 2016-17 NBA season with designs on taking the Los Angeles Clippers to places they haven’t been before, even with the Golden State Warriors and their superstar-studded roster (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green) standing in the way. Rivers insists his Clippers are ready to challenge the Warriors, no matter what the doubters think. Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times breaks down the challenges facing the Clippers with training camps set to kick off around the league:

Last season the Clippers had another successful regular season (53-29) and had high hopes going in the playoffs. But that quickly evaporated when they lost a first-round series to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Paul broke his right hand and Griffin reinjured his left quadriceps tendon in Game 4, forcing both to miss the last two games of the series.

Once again there were complaints that the L.A. Clippers still had never made it past the second round of the playoffs.

“You should never run from the truth. That’s true,” Rivers said. “But getting past the second round is such a [expletive] goal. That’s not my goal. My goal is to be the winner. So, to be the winner, part of that is getting past the second round. The second round talk does nothing for me. The endgame is being the winner.”

Rivers quickly pointed out that “we’re not” one of the favorites to win the 2017 NBA championship.

Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has the Warriors as the title favorites at 5-7 odds, with defending NBA champion Cleveland second (5-2), San Antonio third (6-1) and the Clippers fourth (20-1).

“We’re in the conversation,” Rivers said.

So much of the Clippers’ success will be determined by the health of Paul and Griffin, both of whom Rivers said are 100% healthy based on how well they have looked while playing in pickup games at the practice facility.

But Griffin has another cloud hovering over him. He broke his right hand in a fight last January with then Clippers assistant equipment manager Matias Testi.

Griffin penned a letter to Clippers fans on the Players’ Tribune Friday, apologizing for last season.

“It’s been a hard year for Blake – from the knee injury to the Matias thing,” Rivers said. “Blake had a year of life lessons. And that’s OK. I don’t have a problem with that. We all have them. I actually will say Blake is in the best physical and mental place he’s been in since I’ve been here.”

The Clippers will gather together for media day Monday and open their training camp Tuesday at UC Irvine.

In recent weeks Rivers has watched as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has taken a knee during the the national anthem in his quest to raise awareness about racial injustice.

“When I hear people say, you have to stand with your team, that’s true. But there are certain issues that transcend everything,” Rivers said. “This is a very serious problem we have. And to me, none of us are smart enough to know the solutions. But what we can do is start the debate and the talk.

“And usually when enough people get to talking, there are usually results in some type of action. To me, whether you like what Kaepernick did or not – and it’s not for me to tell you if you should or shouldn’t – the fact that you’re reading about a statement that I’m making about it means what he’s doing has had an impact. Now we have to get to the endgame and that’s the hard part.”

On the basketball court, the hard part for the Clippers and the rest of the league will be getting past the Warriors with Durant and two-time MVP Stephen Curry as the expected super team of the NBA.

“There’s always going to be a competitor in our league. There’s never going to be one team that wins it every year,” Rivers said. “There’s always going to be someone that’s standing in front of you and our job is to stand directly in front of them and block their way.…

“But that’s fine, if that’s what people want to believe [about the Warriors]. We’re just not going to believe that crap.”

August 7, 2016 · 9:36 PM ET

RIO DE JANEIRO — In the Men’s Basketball competition at the Olympics, Group B is the tougher group, with five good teams, one that won’t make the quarterfinals. And the group’s depth and quality was on display in its first day of action, as Croatia upset Spain, 72-70 on Sunday night.

Incoming Sixers rookie Dario Saric, who had a quiet night statistically (five points, seven rebounds, five assists, 1-for-7 shooting), sealed the game by blocking a short jump hook from the Spurs’ Pau Gasol at the buzzer.

“It’s a gift for the whole team,” Saric said of the final play. “That block was like cherry on the cake, because the team fought all the time.”

Spain led by as many as 10 points late in the first quarter and by as many as 13 early in the third. But twice, Croatia was able to chip away at the lead when Gasol went to the bench, a symptom of the absences of bigs Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.

The Nets’ Bojan Bogdanovic hit two huge shots in the last five minutes and led Croatia with 23 points. Gasol led all scorers with 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting, but fouled Bogdanovic on a 3-pointer on a critical play late.

The Wolves’ Ricky Rubio was on the bench for most of the fourth quarter, as the Sixers’ Sergio Rodriguez and Rockets’ draft-stash Sergio Llull finished the game in the backcourt. But both of those guys had costly turnovers down the stretch, with Rodriguez also missing two important 3-point attempts when Gasol was double-teamed in the post.

Spain has lost early in big tournaments before. In the 2012 Olympics, it lost to both Russia and Brazil in pool play before recovering to scare the U.S. in the gold medal game. And in last year’s Eurobasket, Spain lost its first game to Serbia and its third game to Italy before going on to win the tournament.

“This year, hopefully, it’s going to be the same,” the Bulls’ Nikola Mirotic said after scoring 19 points in the loss. “We started [last year with a loss], but most important is how you finish. I trust in this team and I know that we’re going to play much better next game.”

Lithuania survives vs. Brazil

The first game of the day was almost as much of a thriller, though it looked nothing like one early on. Lithuania led by 29 at halftime and by as many as 30 midway through the third, but Brazil cut the lead to 18 by the end of the period and was within four with just over two minutes to go.

The home crowd was loud, chanting “We believe!” in Portuguese. But incoming Thunder rookie Domantas Sabonis sealed the win for Lithuania with a tough, reverse and-one off a pick-and-roll feed from Renaldas Seibutis. Sabonis finished with 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting, while incoming Knicks rookie Mindaugas Kuzminskas added eight points and five rebounds in Lithuania’s 82-76 win.

Jonas Valanciunas (six points, three boards) had a pretty quiet afternoon, but it was a team effort as Lithuania shot 21-for-29 (6-for-9 from 3-point range) in the first half. Brazil’s starting backcourt of Marcelo Huertas (Lakers) and Alex Garcia couldn’t keep Lithuania out of the paint and played a total of 23 seconds (all from Garcia) in the second half.

With Group B so competitive, the first day of action was huge for Croatia and tough for the hosts. If things hold to form, the final spot in the quarterfinals could come down to a game between rivals Argentina and Brazil, who play on Saturday. But with what happened on Sunday, it’s probably best not to look too far ahead.

Argentina takes care of business

In Sunday’s final game, Argentina handled its business against Nigeria, Group B’s weakest team. Luis Scola and Manu Ginobili combined to score the game’s first nine points and Argentina led by as many as 29 on its way to a 94-66 victory.

Facundo Campazzo led five Argentina players in double-figures with 19 points. Incoming Spurs rookie Patricio Garino had 15 points on just six shots, adding six rebounds.

Each week, we’ll ask our stable of scribes across the globe to weigh in on the most important NBA topics of the day — and then give you a chance to step on the scale, too, in the comments below.

> Overall, how would you grade the Thunder’s 2016 offseason?

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: B-. Can’t give the Thunder an A; that would have required Durant to re-up. But I’ll go as far as the B- even though they lost a proven MVP still in his prime. The Westbrook extension allows the franchise and the city, as well as the remaining players, to breathe. And swapping out Serge Ibaka (and unofficially Dion Waiters) for Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Ersan Ilyasova is a strong now-secondary move. Ibaka’s impact was in decline, and with Steven Adams on the rise, the rotation up front is more streamlined now. The team still could use help on the wing, but that seems like a quibble in the wake of Westbrook’s re-upping.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: When you lose one of the top three players in the league the report card takes a hit. But keeping Westbrook saves the Thunder from flunking summer school. Getting it done before the start of training camp to remove the uncertainty from the 2016-17 gets extra credit points. OKC is no longer among the elite, but I’m giving the Thunder a C+, which includes an A for effort.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: Bad. You want a letter grade? Let’s say D. The Russell Westbrook deal is big and adding Victor Oladipo could make for a very nice backcourt, but there is no way getting around the bottom line that losing one of the best players in the world, Kevin Durant, without getting anything in return is a crushing setback. The team that could have been a title contender isn’t any more. That’s the bottom line.

Shaun Powell, NBA.com: I’ll give them a B.They lost Durant, but the Westbrook deal and getting Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis in the Serge Ibaka trade made the most of a tough situation.

John Schuhmann, NBA.com: They lost one of the three best players in the world and two of their three most important defenders. Adding some depth and tacking another year onto Westbrook’s deal turns an F into a D.

Sekou Smith, NBA.com:I think a B-minus is more than fair. Since I don’t grade on a curve, the Thunder didn’t make the honor roll. You just can’t when you lose an iconic player like Kevin Durant in free agency. But they salvaged their grade by convincing Westbrook to stick around. We don’t know what the loss of Serge Ibaka will do to this team, if anything at all. If GM Sam Presti and coach Billy Donovan are certain that they have a legitimate top-five center in Steven Adams and a potential star in Victor Oladipo, then they could be in line for a grade change.

Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: It’s a disappointment — with a huge asterisk. They lost Durant and there is no replacing him. His loss removes them from championship contention next season. But they avoided another potential free agent departure by moving Serge Ibaka while they could for three players who will help immediately, including Victor Oladipo, whose rights will be restricted. Based on the events that they could control, they did as well as they could to come out of this summer with a like-minded roster and some level of contractual certainty for the next several seasons.

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: I liked trading Serge Ibaka for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis, although I would have liked it much more if Durant was on the roster. Re-signing Westbrook is better than seeing him leave. But then, even while considering the good things the Thunder did, it is impossible to ignore that the Thunder also lost one of the best players in not only the NBA today, but in NBA history. And they got nothing in return. And he went to one of their most bitter rivals. So if I had to assign a grade, I’d say D+. A nice trade, a good extension, but to me they are further away from their goal of a championship than they were three months ago.

Each week, we’ll ask our stable of scribes across the globe to weigh in on the most important NBA topics of the day — and then give you a chance to step on the scale, too, in the comments below.

> In the loaded Western Conference, where do the Thunder rank going into this season?

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: Second-tier playoff team. I think the Clippers and the Trail Blazers bump up into the Nos. 3 and 4 spots in the West, with OKC now in the mix with the likes of Memphis, Utah, Houston and Minnesota for the remaining four spots. Not only has Westbrook been a terrific catalyst when playing without Durant, averaging about 30 points, nine assists and eight rebounds over the past two years in such games, but GM Sam Presti, coach Billy Donovan and the rest will be extra-motivated to demonstrate how good the Thunder still are and how well they can remodel a legit contender around Westbrook. They dare not slip into lottery land, at this point.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: Westbrook has already proven that he can anchor the team and lead it to a winning record (45-37) two seasons ago when Durant missed 55 games due to injury. While the Thunder are no longer a championship contender, they battle the Portland Trail Blazers for first place in the Northwest Division. If all goes very well, they’re fighting for the No. 4-5 spots in the Western Conference. If not, OKC is scrambling for the No. 7 or 8 holes. Either way, this is still a playoff team, though the young Minnesota Timberwolves under Tom Thibodeau are coming up fast.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: I always dislike August predictions, knowing rosters can still change before the opening of camp, but since you asked: They could still be a playoff team. Russell Westbrook, Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo, Andre Roberson’s defense, Enes Kanter’s offense and rebounding — there are big holes at both forward spots, but that’s also a respectable starting point. To try and pinpoint it, I’ll say OKC is in the 8-9 conversation. I think they’re going to be very motivated and focused. They are not going away quietly, that’s for sure. Getting a boost from a second-year player (Cameron Payne) or rookie (Domantas Sabonis, Alex Abrines) would be a big help, especially since Sabonis can play power forward and Abrines small forward. It’s just tough to count on dependable play from newcomers, though.

Shaun Powell, NBA.com: Top 5. Russell Westbrook will have an MVP type season and he and Victor Oladipo will mesh in the backcourt.

John Schuhmann, NBA.com: They still a good amount of talent, but their defense is going to take a big step backward with the departures of Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka. I would put them behind Golden State, San Antonio, LA Clippers and Memphis, in the mix for lower seed with Portland, Dallas, Utah, and Minnesota.

Sekou Smith, NBA.com:The top six is a realistic starting point. Scanning the list of contenders in a top-heavy Western Conference we have to start with that new-look crew at Golden State, followed by the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies and then the Thunder. I’m not sure what to make of the Dallas Mavericks and their revamped roster. And the Houston Rockets still have James Harden to lean on. The Thunder are in that same mix with the Mavericks and Rockets, without the benefit of knowing how all of the new pieces will fit on each of those teams.

Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: The sure thing — health permitting — is that they’re going to make the playoffs. The top three contenders are going to be the Golden State Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers, which leaves the No. 4 spot wide open. Who’s to say that the Thunder won’t be able to grab it — with the promise of a delicious Western Conference semifinals rematch vs. Golden State in which virtually everyone outside the Bay Area will be rooting for OKC.

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: Let’s do this by process of elimination. Eliminating health concerns, I’d say as presently constructed, the very best teams in the Western Conference are the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers. I would place the Thunder within the next tier of teams, which includes (in no particular order) the Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, and maybe Minnesota Timberwolves. Can the Thunder make the playoffs? Even if everyone stays healthy, I think it may require Russ averaging 30 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. I don’t know if he can do that over an entire season, but it sure should be fun to watch.

Each week, we’ll ask our stable of scribes across the globe to weigh in on the most important NBA topics of the day — and then give you a chance to step on the scale, too, in the comments below.

> Several incoming NBA rookies will be suited up for the Summer Olympics, which begin next week. Which of these rooks are you most eager to see in action in Rio? Why?

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: I’m curious about Domantas Sabonis with Lithuania. I missed seeing his old man, Arvydas, until he was an older, thicker and different player with Portland (1995-2003) than he had been in international competition. If his offspring can make the transition from Gonzaga to the NBA as effectively as Arvydas did when he arrived at age 31, the Thunder will have something special. Arvydas Sabonis was so gifted, and had such great finesse for a huge man. It’ll be interesting to see how much Domantas relies on guile as he’s adding strength to compete in the paint against the NBA’s grown men.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: As a resident of Houston, I’ll be most interested in Rockets second-round draft pick Zhou Qi of China. The 7-foot-2 center has a tremendous wingspan, demonstrated athleticism, touch around the hoop and a decent jumper. But he is downright skinny and I want to see if he can hold his own against physical play. I’ll also have an eye out for Domantas Sabonis of Lithuania. The son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis could get big minutes this season for the relaunching Thunder.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: Alex Abrines. I’ve been on the bandwagon for a few years, since before the Thunder took him 32nd in 2013. His previous experience at major international tournaments has only been in the junior events. Now the swingman has extensive experience in Spain, will finally be joining Oklahoma City this season and is scheduled to play for Spain in the Olympics. The Spanish roster is crowded enough that Abrines will not be handed minutes, but his play, especially if a matchup with the United States materializes beyond pool play, will be a measuring stick heading toward his NBA debut. The same goes for Dario Saric as he nears the move to the 76ers.

John Schuhmann, NBA.com: Two of them — Domantas Sabonis and Dario Saric — are lottery picks. Even though Sabonis played college basketball in the States, I’ve seen more of Saric. So I’m more curious about Sabonis, who has been playing a decent amount of minutes in exhibition games for a veteran-laden Lithuania squad. His skills could be a good fit on the Thunder frontline and it will be interesting to see if he gets a chance to contribute as a rookie on a team that will be fighting for a playoff spot.

Sekou Smith, NBA.com: Seeing his highlights doesn’t do justice to the game so many talent evaluators insist resides in the body of Dario Saric. I’ve been waiting anxiously to see him go all out in a competition like this, just to see if he can justify some of the hype (and there has been plenty). He’s such a critical piece for the Philadelphia 76ers going forward. I want see for my own eyes what he brings to the party in Philly.

Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: For two years we’ve been hearing about 6-foot-10 power forward Dario Saric, the No. 12 pick of the 2014 draft who will add to the glut of big men in Philadelphia next season. Will Saric be able to earn meaningful minutes alongside Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor? Which skills will he bring to the 76ers? The best clues will be provided by his play with Croatia in the weeks ahead.

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: Wait, Ben Simmons is playing? Oh, well then, my options are severely limited. In that case, out of the rookies playing in Rio, I’ll do with Domantas Sabonis, who may end up playing a bigger role than anyone suspected this season for the Thunder following the departure of Kevin Durant.

June 23, 2016 · 9:53 PM ET

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — In something of a Draft-night stunner, the Oklahoma City Thunder will part ways with Serge Ibaka in a trade with the Orlando Magic that will send Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis, the 11th pick in Thursday night’s Draft.

The deal was first reported by The Vertical.

Ibaka was a core member of a Thunder team headlined by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Ibaka served as the defensive anchor for the Thunder early on in his career before ceding that role to Steven Adams in the past two seasons. Moving Ibaka comes at an odd time, with Durant set to become a free agent July 1.

Ibaka immediately joins Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon in a Orlando frontcourt that should be a team strength under new coach Frank Vogel.

Oladipo gives the Thunder another young wing player to add to their rotation, a shooting guard who can play both ends of the floor at a high level. Ilyasova is a veteran floor spacing forward and Sabonis, the son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis, is a rugged big man who starred in college at Gonzaga.